At the Sydney training

Yamaha Commercial Audio is celebrating the completion of its successful Training Tour. From September to December, Yamaha’s Commercial Audio instructors, Jason Allen and Jonathan Bailey, conducted the “Digital Mixing 101”, “Audio Networking” and “PM5DV2 and DSP5D” training courses to over 300 registered trainees Australia-wide.

The tour was the largest of its kind ever conducted by Yamaha Commercial Audio in Australia and demonstrated Yamaha's commitment to servicing the local market, fulfilling its enduring motto of “Local Service, Global Support”. In all, the tour comprised a total of 18 training sessions held across 15 days of training, in a total of 12 Australian cities spanning seven states and territories.

Digital Mixing 101
The day-long Digital Mixing 101 course was conducted in all twelve of the Training Tour’s host cities: Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart. The course featured Yamaha LS9-16, LS9-32, M7CL-48, PM5D-RH V2 and DSP5D digital mixing systems connected seamlessly within an EtherSound network. Attendees included live sound technicians, theatre and entertainment venue personnel, broadcast operators, church staff, university students, professional audio retailers and audio enthusiasts.

At the Adelaide training

Attendees gained an understanding of audio engineering theory, microphones and mic technique, bidirectional audio networking via EtherSound, and practical digital mixing concepts such as gain structure, dynamics, EQ, effects, scenes, offline editing and user administration. Yamaha also toured its new, large-format IM8 mixer to provide effective comparison between analogue and digital mixing technologies, and completed the signal chain with Yamaha’s DME Series programmable DSP units, PC-1N networkable power amplifiers and high-end Installation Series loudspeakers.

Feedback was positive and demonstrated a nationwide appreciation for much-needed industry training on live audio systems. In particular, the course content received special mention, as did the equipment and the trainers themselves.

“Digital Mixing 101 definitely fulfilled my expectations,” says Ben Zoumpoulis, who attended the Sydney session. “In a real world scenario, the topics covered were effective.”

“A great job delivering a broad course subject to such a varied group,” observes Ric Arnold, Theatre Technician at the Wyndham Cultural Centre in Werribee, Victoria.

“I think this course would be a great introduction for a student or employee on a traineeship,” remarks Anthony Kitson of the Sydney Convention and Entertainment Centre. “It’s a great chance for someone wanting to learn about audio.”

“The training staff were great, very knowledgeable in the field and were very helpful in answering any question about their Yamaha product range,” Kitson adds.

“The theory was very useful, and as a newcomer to the industry I was very appreciative about the fact there was a fair bit of basic fundamentals incorporated into the course,” says Gabriel Giordano, who attended the Canberra session and praised the seminar’s balance of theory and practice. “I am sure I will remember the day for a very long time. It was very educational and inspiring.”

“Experience speaks volumes,” adds Michel Parsons, sound technician at Hills Alliance Church in Baulkham Hills, NSW. “Guys who work with the stuff can teach the stuff.”

“The gear is fantastic,” Parsons continues, paying tribute to Yamaha’s selection of training equipment during the seminar. “Yamaha rules!”

At the Brisbane training

Justin Langman, who attended the Adelaide session, was similarly pleased with the array of gear that Yamaha made available for the course. “I honestly didn't expect to see all four desks, plus the IM8, rack equipment and sound system,” he recalls.

Participants also valued the practical applications of Digital Mixing 101 in their workplace. Among these, several attendees mentioned that the course justified their recent or potential Yamaha equipment purchases.

“I found the course excellent and from it I have purchased an LS9-32 for my business,” says Adam James, who attended the Perth session and has also pre-ordered Yamaha’s new SB168-ES EtherSound Stage Box in anticipation of its March 2009 arrival.

“Our LS9-32 is fantastic,” adds Dave Goldsmith, Technical Officer at William Carey Christian School in Sydney. “I found that a number of tricks and techniques Jono showed us could be applied to our desk.”

Rob Norman, of Southland Vineyard Church in Adelaide, remarked that the course has helped his organisation immensely with its new console purchase. “We have placed an order for an M7CL-48 and will benefit in familiarising ourselves with it,” he states.

“I will now be able to recommend the right equipment for the right jobs to management,” notes Craig Sheedy, Technical Director for Staging Connections Canberra.

Specialist courses: Audio Networking and PM5D V2 & DSP5D
The 3-hour Audio Networking course was conducted exclusively in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Attendees gained an understanding of the fundamentals of CobraNet and EtherSound, the digital transmission protocols that have revolutionised the design and construction of distributed audio systems.

Trainer Jason Allen gave participants the opportunity to build simple networks that transport audio via Ethernet infrastructure while guiding them through the operation of Yamaha's DME Series programmable DSP range and network audio interfaces. Attendees included system designers, integrators, installers and sound technicians looking to upgrade their skills or seeking an introduction to digital distribution protocols.

Reactions from participants were very encouraging, with attendees praising the seminar’s real-world applicability and emphasis on hands-on exercises.

“It was very handy to get an idea of the different focus CobraNet and EtherSound are aimed at,” says Frank Hamelink, who attended the Melbourne session.

At the Newcastle traing

“The smaller class size made the hands-on practice of setting up the network even easier to get involved with and therefore remember,” adds Dave Goldsmith. “Jason's technique of leaving the work up to the group and guiding us when stuck was perfect.”

“I have already told some of the students on our sound and lighting team about the options of sending huge numbers of audio lines down a single Cat5 cable and fibreoptics,” Goldsmith continues, noting that his school hopes to purchase a second LS9 console for monitors plus two EtherSound cards in the near future.

“For future planning and technology advances, this course will be very useful,” adds Ric Arnold. “I can see it will be a requirement in the very near future.”

“It was great to see this pro-active approach from Yamaha,” Arnold continues. “It has filled a marketplace niche for real industry training.”

The PM5D V2 and DSP5D course was 3 hours in duration and gave attendees in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and the opportunity to learn the operation and new features of Version 2 of one of the world's most popular digital mixing consoles, the PM5D, and its new expansion unit, the DSP5D.

Trainer Jonathan Bailey instructed attendees on basic operation, new features such as Virtual Soundcheck, expanding a PM5D's mono input channel count to 144, and using a DSP5D as a remote stage box and digital multicore connected to FOH by a single piece of Cat5.

“I was keen to see what the latest production desks can do and how they worked,” says Dave Goldsmith, recalling his expectations of the PM5D-focused course. “I have come away with a bigger picture of what’s being used in the industry and will pass on that kind of information for the team of students whom I train in the art of live sound mixing.”

At the Melbourne training